Drums for the temperature treatment of materials



March 24, 1959 w. w. SPOONER 2,878,583

DRUMS FOR THE TEMPERATURE TREATMENT OF MATERIALS Filed March 27, 1956 3Sheets-Sheet 1 1 3? FIG. I. v I 32 INVENTOR WILL m M WYCLIFFE swam:

ATTORNEYS w. w. SPOONER March 24, 1959 DRUMS FOR THE TEMPERATURETREATMENT OF MATERIALS Filed March 27, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 24;1959 w, w. sPooNER 2,878,583

DRUMS FOR THE TEMPERATURE TREATMENT OF MATERIALS Filed March 27, 1956 v'3 Sheets-Sheet 3 a4 2 57 21 31 T o 34 INVENTOR BY 4 I A, a 1- ATTORNEYSDRUMS FOR THE TEMPERATURE TREATMENT OF MATERIALS William WycliffeSpooner, llkley, England, assignor to The Spooner Dryer & EngineeringCo. Limited, Ilkley, England Application March 27, 1956, Serial No.574,300

8 Claims. (Cl. 34-422) The present invention relates to a drum for thetemperature treatment of materials, suitable for use, for

Patent F example, in paper-making and textile processing, in. which atleast one casing having a convex arcuate outer face provided with nozzleopenings is located within the drum and means are provided for supplyinga heating or cooling fluid to said casing for projection through saidnozzle openings on to the internal surface of the drum to heat or coolthe same. More particularly the invention relates to methods of mountingsuch drum.

It has already been proposed to mount the heating apparatus on andaround a shaft coaxial with the drum so as to be contained within thedrum. The drum is caused to rotate about the shaft by external means andsuitable bearing journals are provided between the drum and the shaft.This arrangement has the disadvantage that in order to provide a rigidsupport for the heating apparatus the supporting shaft may have to be ofconsiderable size, especially in the case of long drums with allow rigidsupport means for said casing and auxiliary equipment to passtherethrough.

The drum may be driven by one or both of said supporting rollers or byanother roller or other rollers.

The drum may rest with its outer surface upon the supporting rollers inwhich case these rollers are preferably utilized as lead-on and lead-ofirolls for web or strip material to be treated by contact with the heatedsurface of the drum. Alternatively the supporting rollers may extendaxially within the drum in which case the drum rests with its innersurface upon the supporting rollers. This arrangement has the advantagethat the whole of the heated outer surface of the drum is free from anysupporting means and a greater length of material may be treated at anyone time than is the case when the drum rests with its outer surface incontact with the supporting rollers. The lead-on and leadoff rolls mayalso, in this case, be conveniently situated in the upper region of thedrum.

Heated drums according to the present invention are particularlysuitable for use in the paper manufacturing trade as drying cylindersfor M.G. machines in which a web of paper is pressed onto the polishedouter periphery of the heated cylinder and a glaze is imparted to thesurface of the web which is in contact with the cylinder. In this case ahood or cover, which contains heating means, preferably surrounds thedrum over as large a portion of the periphery as possible. This hoodassists 2,878,583 Patented Mar. 24, 1959 2 in drying the paper webduring its time of contact with the heated drum surface.

In many cases it is desirable to dry the paper web on both sides inwhich case it is conveniently led around two drums in turn, being ledonto and off one drum towards the bottom of the drum and subsequentlyled onto a second drum towards the top thereof. In this applicationdrums according to the present invention are particularly suitable, thefirst drum being supported on its lead-on and lead-off rollers and thesecond drum supported on internal supporting rollers, the second drumbeing provided with separate lead-on and lead-off rollers. Two or morelarge drums used in this manner conveniently replace the larger numberof small rolls which are commonly used in the Fourdrinier type of papermaking machine. The heating means in the hoods preferably comprise aseries of nozzles directing heated fluid streams onto the surface of theweb.

Whilst the nozzles inside both the drum and the hood may be of any formthey are preferably narrow in the circumferential direction andrelatively long in the axial direction of the drum and they convenientlyextend along the whole axial length of the drum.

The nozzles inside both the drum and the hood may be distributed amongsta number of individual heating units each of which heats an arc of thesurface of the drum. Each heating unit may have its own circulating fanand heating means, the hot air projected from the nozzles onto thesurface of the drum being collected and recirculated through the heatingmeans. As with this system there will tend to be a small wastage of airit is desirable that make-up air should be supplied to each heatingunit. Make-up air for all the units of each drum may be supplied from asingle header fed by a blower.

The invention will be further described by way of example with referenceto the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates diagrammatically an end view showing the operation ofa drum constructed according to one embodiment of the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a detail view of Fig. 1 to a larger scale,

Fig. 3 illustrates diagrammatically an end view showing the operation ofa drum constructed according to another embodiment of the presentinvention, and Fig. 4 illustrates diagrammatically a detail view of theembodiment of Fig. 1 with certain parts removed for the sake of clarity,

Fig. 5 is an end view of one heating unit, partly in section. v

Referring to Fig. 1 a drum 21 is supported on rollers 25 and 26.

Heating units such as 29 having a convex arcuate surface provided Withnozzles, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2, are disposed around theavailable inner surface of the drum. Similar units such as 30 having aconcave arcuate surface provided with nozzles are disposed around theavailable outer surface of the drum. Heating air is circulated throughheaters and after projection from the nozzles onto the surface of thedrum is collected and recirculated. To compensate for the wastage of airwhich occurs make-up air is supplied to all the heating units of thedrum by a fan such as 31. This'fan feeds a common header 32 from whichsupply lines such as 33 distribute the make-up air to the various outerheating units. A hollow shaft such as 34 is located centrally within thedrum and includes a header for supplying make-up air to the innerheating units of that drum.

A strip or web of material 36 to be dried is led onto drum 21 around thesupporting roller 25 and is led off around supporting roller 26.

The embodiment of Fig. 3 differs from the embodi- 3 ment of Fig. l inthe method of support for the drum and in the position of lead-on andlead-off of the strip or web of material. The drum 22 is supported onrollers 27 and 28 placed inside the drum 22 and the material 36 is ledon to the drum 22 over the roller 38 and is led 01f over the roller 39.

In Fig.2 the construction of the heating units is shown in more detail.Considering the inner heating unit 29 there illustrated, a motor 40drives a fan 41 which circulate air through heaters 42 to a manifold 43.The heaters 42 are shown heated by electrical means, the electricitybeing supplied through leads such as lead 52. The manifold 43 has aseries of axially directed parallel nozzles such as 44 through which theheated air is. projected onto the inner surface. 53. of, thedrum. Thenozzles alternate with rows of holes through which air projected ontothe drum is collected and which commnnicate via internal tubes 45 with,a central chamber 46... Make-up. air is supplied tov thechamber 46through a. feed pipe 47'. The air in the chamber 46 is induced by thefan 41 and circulated as before.

The outer heating units such as 30 function in a similar manner.Parallel nozzles such as 54 project heated air onto the outer surface.55 of the material being treated.

The inner heating units are supported on spider arms which radiateoutwards from the shaft 34 which also acts as a header for the supply ofmake-up air to the inner heating units. The outer heating units, asshown in Fig. 2, are supported on a suitable external framework 51.

In Fig. 4 the heating units placed outside the drum are not illustratedso as to more clearly show the method of supporting the drum and therollers. The roller 26, which together with roller 25 carries the drum21, has flanges and 61 to restrict lateral movement of the drum 21. Theroller 26 is supported by the spindle 64 in bearings 62 and 63. Anelectric motor 65 drives the roller 26 through pinion 66 and wheel 67.The supports 58 and 59 carry the ends 56 and 57 of the fixed shaft 34.The fan 31 is shown supplying make-up air to the common header 32 and tothe pipe 68 which in turn supplies make-up air view the shaft 34 and thefeed pipes to the inner heating units such as 29.

Other forms of support members for the heating units may be chosen tosuit the weight and disposition of the units, in particular the onlylimitation on the form of the support members for the inner heatingunits is that they must be able to pass through the open end or ends ofthe drum. Fig. 4 shows the inner heating units supported through bothends of the drum. They may however be cantilevered through one end. ofthe drum only. The considerable flexibility which is thus allowed in thedesign of support member for-the, heating units removes the maindisadvantage of the previous design of such heating drums.

In both embodiments illustrated the drum is driven by either or both ofthe rollers on which it is supported. However other means of driving thedrum may he used, either friction drive for example from one or moreadditional rollers of if desired a more positive drive for example agear drive to agear ring attached to the drum.

Whilst the use of one drum, alone is illustrated enabling only one .sideof a web to be brought into contact with a heated surface, such as willbe the case when using a drum of this type as part of a M. G. papermaking machine, it will readily be appreciated that both embodiments maybe used in tandem so that both sides of the web may be treated.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for the temperature treatment of moving materials of web,sheet or .strip form, comprising a rotatable drum for engaging saidmaterial and having an opening at one end, at least one casing locatedwithin the drum and having a convex arcuate outerfacetdefining aplurality of nozzle openings therein, means for supplying a heattransfer fluid to said casing and projecting said fluid through saidnozzle openings onto the inner surface of the drum to alter thetemperature thereof, a plurality of substantially parallel andhorizontal rollers supporting the drum, means for rotating said drum,means for guiding material being treated along a path during a portionof the length of which the material is in contact with the outer surfaceof the drum, rigid supporting means passing through said openings andsupporting the casing within the drum, and temperature treatment meansdisposed around and adjacent to the outer periphery of the drum toassist in altering the temperature of the material in contact with thedrum.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said temperature treatmentmeans includes a plurality of nozzle adapted to direct said heattransfer fluid towards the outer surface of the drum.

3. InApparatus for the temperature treatment of moving materials of web,sheet or strip form, the combination of a rotatable drum for engagingsaid material and having a central opening at one end, a plurality ofsubstantially parallel and horizontal rollers supporting the drum, meansfor rotating said drum, means for guiding said material along a pathduring a portion of the length of which the material is in contact withthe outer surface of the drum, a plurality of temperature treatmentunits disposed within the drum and around the inner surface thereof,rigid supporting means passing through said opening and supporting saidunits within the drum, each of said units comprising a casing includingmeans defining a chamber within said casing, said casing having an outerconvex arcuate face and defining a plurality of parallel radiallydirected nozzles extending in the axial direction of the drum, said faceincluding a plurality of fluid intake conduits disposed between saidnozzles and communicating with said chamber, heat transfer means forvarying the temperature of a heat transfer fluid passing therethrough,and a fan for circulating said heat transfer fluid through said heattransfer means to said nozzles for projection towards the drum and forrecirculating fluid from adjacent said drum, through said fluid intakeconduits, said chamber and said heat transfer means.

4. Apparatus for the temperature treatment of moving materials of web,sheet or strip form, comprising a rotatable drum for 'engagingsaidmaterial and having an opening at one end, at least one casing locatedwithinthe drum and having a convex arcuate outer face defining aplurality of nozzle openings therein, means for supplying a heattransfer fluid to said casing and projecting said fluid through saidnozzle openings onto the inner surface of the drum to alter thetemperature thereof, a plurality of substantially parallel andhorizontal rollers supporting the. drum, means forrotating said drum,means for guiding material being treated along a path during a portionof the length of which the material is in contact with the outer surfaceof the drum, said rollers being disposed below the axis of the drum, oneof said rollers forming a lead-on roll and the other of said rollersforming a lead-olf roll .for respectively guiding material onto and offthe drum, rigid supporting means passing through said openings andsupporting the casing within the drum, and temperature treatment meansdisposed around the outer periphery of andadjacent to the drum to assistin altering the temperature of the material in contact with the drum.

5. Apparatus for the temperature treatment of moving materials of web,sheet or strip form, comprising a rotatable drum for engaging saidmaterial and having an opening at one end, at least one casing locatedwithin the drum and having a convex arcuate outer face defining .aplurality of nozzle openings therein, means for supplying a heattransfer fluid to said casing and projecting said fluid through saidnozzle openings onto the inner surface of the drum to .alter thetemperature thereof, a

plurality of substantially parallel and horizontal rollers supportingthe drum, said rollers being disposed above the axis of the drum andsaid drum raised with its inner surface in contact therewith, means forrotating said drum, means for guiding material being treated along apath during a portion of the length of which the material is in contactwith the outer surface of the drum, a leadon roller and a lead-offroller disposed adjacent the outer surface of the drum in parallel axistherewith and adapted to guide said material on to and off said drum,rigid supporting means passing through said openings and supporting thecasing within the drum, and temperature treatment means disposed aroundthe outer periphery of and adjacent to the drum to assist in alteringthe temperature of the material in contact with the drum.

6. Inapparatus for the temperature treatment of moving materials of web,sheet or strip form, the combination of a rotatable drum for engagingsaid material and having a central opening at one end, a plurality ofsubstantially parallel and horizontal rollers supporting the drum, meansfor rotating said drum, means for guiding said material along a pathduring a portion of the length of which the material is in contact withthe outer surface of the drum, said rollers being disposed below theaxis of the drum, one of said rollers forming a lead-on roll and theother of said rollers forming a lead-01f roll for respectively guidingmaterial onto and off the drum, a plurality of temperature treatmentunits disposed Within the drum and around the inner surface thereof,rigid supporting means passing through said opening and supporting saidunits within the drum, each of said units comprising a casing includingmeans defining a chamber within said casing, said casing having an outerconvex arcuate face, and defining a plurality of parallel radiallydirected nozzles extending in the axial direction of the drum, said facehaving disposed thereon a plurality of fluid intake conduits betweensaid nozzles, and communicating with said chamber, heat transfer meansfor varying the temperature of a heat transfer fluid passingtherethrough, and a fan for circulating said heat transfer fluid throughsaid heat transfer means to said nozzles for projection towards the drumand for recirculating fluid from adjacent said drum through said fluidintake conduits, said chamber and said heat transfer means.

7. In apparatus for the temperature treatment of moving materials ofweb, sheet or strip form, the combination of a rotatable drum forengaging said material and having a central opening at one end, aplurality of substantially parallel and horizontal rollers supportingthe drum,

said rollers being disposed above the axis of the drum and r said drumraised with its inner surface in contact there with, means for rotatingsaid drum, means for guiding said material along a path during a portionof the length of which the material is in contact with the outer surfaceof the drum, a lead-on roll and a lead-off roll disposed adjacent theouter surface of the drum in parallel lines therewith and adapted toguide said material on to and off said drum, a plurality of temperaturetreatment units disposed Within the drum and around the inner surfacethereof, rigidsupporting means passing through said opening andsupporting said units within the drum, each of said units comprising acasing including means defining a chamber, said casing having an outerconvex arcuate face and defining a plurality of parallel radiallydirected nozzles extending in the axial direction of the drum, saidouter face having a plurality of fluid intake conduits disposed in saidface between said nozzles and communicating with said chamber, heattransfer means for I varying the temperature of a heat transfer fluidpassing therethrough, and a fan for circulating said heat transfer fluidthrough said heat transfer means to said nozzles for projection towardsthe drum and for recirculating fluid from adjacent said drum throughsaid fluid intake conduits, said chamber and said heat transfer means.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which said temperature treatmentmeans includes a plurality of individual temperature treatment unitsdisposed around and adjacent to said drum, each of said units comprisinga casing including means defining a chamber within said casing, saidcasing having a concave arcuate outer face and defining a plurality ofparallel radially directed nozzles extending in the axial direction ofsaid drum, said concave face including a plurality of fluid intakeconduits disposed between said nozzles and communicating with saidchamber, heat transfer means for varying the temperature of said fluid,and a fan for circulating fluid from adjacent said drum, through saidintake conduits, said chamber and said heat transfer means to saidnozzles for projection towards said drum.

Ostertag et al Nov. 20, 1951

